J-Six

Just a bit west of here off I-10 is a little community called J-Six. It’s south of the Interstate, and runs along parallel to it. To get there, take the J-Six Ranch Road exit, go south about a block, turn onto the Navajo Trail. Navajo Trail runs a few miles west, with homes on both sides, and smaller roads, all named for various Native American tribes or nations. Arapaho, Shawnee, Klikitat, Chickasaw, Comanche, Apache, you name it they are there.

We’ve been wanting to visit the area for some time, so Thursday, after the propane duty in the morning and Suzy’s afternoon physical therapy session, we went wandering.

Rather than turn into the older residential area, we elected to continue south on J-Six Ranch Road toward the Whetstone Mountains. The paved road wanders a ways, then turns to well-maintained gravel. After a mile or so of that, there’s a gate which we suspect leads to the J-Six Ranch. Good place to turn around.

On the west side of the road, some developer has divided the land into large residential lots, most with splendid views. Unfortunately, no one is seeing those views  because no homes are built. This was probably one of the projects that got stopped when the housing market tanked.

Never ones to miss a good view, we stopped and shot this picture of North Star Peak across the highway. We did take a little tour of the older J-Six area. We talked to a resident who told us the new development up the road had apparently diverted runoff, so that their wash was no longer getting water, and their trees were dying. On another road, we came across this interesting mailbox and entry gate.From there we crossed I-10 into another community called Mescal, and drove north on Mescal Road toward Old Tucson, which is a movie site where many of our old favorite westerns were shot. While Old Tucson is still being advertised as a tourist stop, the sign at the turnoff left no doubt that the place is closed up, at least for the duration.

On the way there and back, we drove through open range country, and saw some cattle grazing along the road. Looks like the cattle population is going to be increasing, and soon!

The Mescal Bar and Grill has been calling us from the highway for a few years, so we stopped in for a beer and an early dinner. The day’s special was a steak and hot links sub sandwich, essentially a Philly Steak sandwich with the addition of slices of hot spicy sausage and some green chilies. For dessert we split a piece of Kahlua pie. While we were there, the owner’s wife, who is also the chief cook and bottle washer, complimented Suzy’s hair color. You know we’ll go back there again and again, as we continue to lead … Our Life on Wheels.

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